This is my actual world. We run Transits in the moving fleet, so this is straight talk, not a database guess.
The 2016 Transit is a genuinely solid work vehicle. Around 145 NHTSA complaints for the whole run and a decent score — low for a commercial vehicle. The six-speed automatic behind it is the 6R80, a tough unit, and critically it is not the junk Ford 6F35 that tops our worst-platforms list. Different transmission entirely. The bones here are good.
Three things that decide a Transit 250
- The engine. The base 3.7L V6 is port-injected, boring, and runs forever — the fleet choice. The 3.5L EcoBoost twin-turbo is the first-gen 3.5 EcoBoost from our list: more power, fine if you tow, but carbon buildup, cam-phaser rattle, and the intercooler-condensation limp-mode stumble in humid weather. For a cargo van I buy the 3.7 every time unless the job needs boost. The 3.2 Power Stroke diesel is strong but injectors/EGR/DPF get expensive — serious miles only.
- The flex disc. 2015-2016 Transits had a rear driveshaft flexible coupling that fails — vibration, then it can let go. Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and confirm that recall was completed. Any vibration at speed without that recall done = walk.
- How it was used. A 60k fleet van serviced on a schedule beats a 40k “personal” one that never saw a lift. Get service records; check the rear suspension and load floor for abuse.
Should you buy one?
Yes — a 2016 Transit 250 with the 3.7 V6, the flex-disc recall confirmed done, and real service history is one of the better used work vans on the market. I’d put one in my own fleet without blinking. An EcoBoost one is fine too, just go in knowing the platform and budget for the carbon/phaser items. On a high-mileage work van, running the warranty math is genuinely worth it — repair exposure on a commercial vehicle adds up fast.